A retired Crown attorney is warning of increased risks to public safety as conditions at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary worsen.
From infestations and air quality, to overcrowding and flooding, the 165-year-old prison’s problems are well-documented.
And Mike Murray says it’s having a cascading effect on everyone—from inmates and staff at the Pen, to the prosecutors and judges who send them there.
The latter is reflected in now routine rulings that sympathize with anyone facing time at HMP—sometimes getting double credit for each day served.
But it’s also led to a scary “lowering of the bar” when it comes to remand versus release, says Murray.
“You see it in bail decisions where, under normal circumstances, these people would be denied bail but because of conditions at HMP, I’m gonna take a chance and release this guy,” he said. “They’re being granted bail, they’re serving shorter sentences, they’re being released earlier. I mean even without the statistics common sense would tell you that this has to have an effect on public safety.”
Yet with no alternative, Murray notes the parade to the Pen must continue for those deemed highest risk.
“Ya know, these people still have to be separated from society, and the courts are holding their noses and doing it.”